About this role
We invite you to join the world of luxury hospitality at Raffles Dubai as our new Executive Pastry Chef. You are responsible for the overall Pastry leadership, operational performance, financial management, and quality standards of the hotel's Pastry, Bakery, Chocolate, Confectionery, and Dessert operations.
The role leads the development of exceptional pastry experiences across restaurants, afternoon tea, banquets events, weddings, IRD, VIP amenities, and seasonal celebrations, while ensuring consistency with the hotel's luxury positioning, brand standards, and commercial objectives.
KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Quality Standards, Culinary Direction & Product Innovation
Ensure consistency and highest quality in food taste, temperature and presentationEnsure the quality and cleanliness of all food displays with maximum creativityEstablish the overall pastry and bakery vision and culinary direction for the hotel.Develop innovative and distinctive pastries, desserts, cakes, chocolates, confectionery, breads, viennoiserie, and plated desserts.Create signature products that reflect the hotel's luxury identity and culinary positioning.Lead seasonal menu development, afternoon tea concepts, festive collections, and special culinary promotions.Develop bespoke products and presentations for VIP guests, weddings, private events, and special occasions.Maintain a balance between classical techniques, contemporary trends, local influences, and operational practicality.Conduct regular product tastings, menu reviews, benchmarking, and innovation sessions.Ensure all products meet defined standards for taste, texture, presentation, portioning, and consistency.Operations
Direct the daily operation of all pastry and bakery production areas.Develop production plans based on occupancy, forecast, outlet requirements, events, and business levels.Maintain appropriate par levels and ensure timely supply to all hotel outlets.Check all set-ups for restaurant and banquet functions. Responsible for the correct timing during service and that food served is always of the highest standardsCoordinate all Restaurant / Banquet / food production, and all specific duties to chefs and other staff under his/her supervisionMonitor and implement portion control established with the recipe cards and the butcher test; minimize waste and spoilageEstablish and maintain standardized recipes, specifications, production procedures, and presentation standards.Ensure pastry displays, afternoon tea, buffets, plated desserts, amenities, and event products reflect five-star luxury standards.Maintain readiness for LQA, brand, internal, and external quality assessments, where applicable.Monitor guest feedback and implement improvements that enhance the overall pastry experience.Ensure seamless coordination with restaurants, banquets, room service, events, stewarding, stores, purchasing, and other culinary departments.Ensure effective communication among the kitchens and with other departments.Work closely with receiving and storeroom to ensure received goods meet Hotel’s quality standards specificationsSupervise food tasting sessions and guide chefs for new menu implementationAttend meetings with Executive Chef to discuss future business strategy and review ongoing action plan progress, and other departmental meetings as requiredUpdate menu recipe cards and menu planning for promotionsTraining/ Development
Conduct staff training and on-the-job training on kitchen skills and new menu itemsLead, motivate, coach, and develop the pastry and bakery team.Establish clear performance standards, responsibilities, and accountability.Manage staffing requirements, production schedules, and departmental organization.Conduct regular briefings, training, demonstrations, performance reviews, and development discussions.Identify high-potential talent and establish succession and career-development plans.Build a culture of creativity, discipline, teamwork, accountability, and continuous improvement.Support recruitment, onboarding, and retention of pastry talent.Encourage participation in competitions, masterclasses, supplier demonstrations, and professional development opportunities.Guide employee orientation for new hiresEnsure staff adhere to hotel regulations re: fire, safety and emergency proceduresFinancial, Commercial & Resource Management
Own the pastry department's food-cost performance and contribute to overall culinary financial targets.Maintain accurate recipe costing, yields, portion control, and theoretical food-cost calculations.Monitor actual versus theoretical food cost and investigate variances.Control inventory, purchasing, production quantities, waste, and high-value ingredient usage.Develop commercially viable products without compromising luxury standards.Participate in menu pricing and profitability reviews.Prepare annual operating CAPEX planning.Evaluate new equipment and technology based on quality, productivity, sustainability, and return on investment.Maintain proper controls over purchase orders and requisitionsMonitor monthly food inventory turnover and slow moving itemsEnsure purchasing, receiving and all storage are efficiently handledReview food cost analysis on a daily basis to in line with budget and forecastWork closely with Finance, Purchasing, and suppliers to optimize cost and resource utilization.Hygiene and Sanitation
Maintain full compliance with HACCP, food safety, allergen management, sanitation, and hotel regulatory requirements.Ensure appropriate temperature control, storage, labeling, traceability, and cross-contamination prevention.Maintain high standards of personal hygiene and cleanliness throughout pastry and bakery areas.Ensure all team members are trained and compliant with food safety procedures.Lead initiatives to reduce food waste through accurate forecasting, production planning, yield management, and responsible utilization of ingredients.Promote efficient use of energy, water, packaging, and raw materials.Support the hotel's sustainability strategy and measurable waste-reduction initiatives.Works closely with Chief Steward to monitor and ensure that all cleaning is properly conducted and according to scheduleSupplier, Equipment & Strategic Partnerships
Work with Purchasing to source premium-quality ingredients and products that meet hotel specifications.Evaluate new ingredients, equipment, technology, packaging, and production solutions.Conduct supplier trials, tastings, benchmarking, and product evaluations.Establish and maintain product specifications for key pastry ingredients.Coordinate with Engineering on preventive maintenance and equipment requirements.Develop and justify pastry CAPEX requirements and equipment replacement plans.Maintain professional relationships with key suppliers, culinary partners, and industry professionals.Staffing/People and Culture Relations
Recommend promotions, transfers of staff to various outlets for Executive Chef approvalMonitor staff schedules for the assigned outletsConduct section / departmental meetings and staff daily briefingsManage staff appraisal processResponsible for proper efficiency and profitable functioning of the assigned F&B outlets What will you bring to this role?
QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
Minimum 8 years experience in an International Class Hotel with at least 2 years experience in a similar capacityDiploma or degree in Pastry Arts, Culinary Arts, Hospitality Management, or equivalent professional qualification.Minimum 10 years of progressive pastry experience, preferably within luxury five-star hotels or high-end restaurants.Previous experience as Executive Pastry Chef, Executive Sous Pastry Chef, or equivalent senior leadership position.Proven experience managing multicultural pastry and bakery teams.Strong expertise in French and international pastry, bakery, chocolate, confectionery, viennoiserie, and plated desserts.Strong understanding of luxury hospitality standards and guest experience.Demonstrated experience in food costing, budgeting, inventory control, menu development, and commercial management.Strong knowledge of HACCP, food safety, and allergen management.Experience with LQA, or equivalent luxury hospitality quality standards is highly desirable.Embrace the Raffles brand promise and luxury in your role and in all your interactions. Foster an inclusive environment where every individual feels valued and respected Create an environment where colleagues are empowered, supported and recognized Drive top performance to achieve exceptional results CULINARY & QUALIFICATIONS
Luxury quality audit performanceGuest satisfaction and feedbackProduct consistency and presentationMenu innovation and signature-product developmentAfternoon tea and pastry experience standardsSolid Culinary KnowledgeCulinary Related CertificatesApprenticeship or any other culinary certificate/diploma an advantageFINANCIAL & COMMERCIAL
Food-cost performanceWaste percentageInventory varianceProduct profitabilityPurchasing efficiencyOPERATION
Production efficiencyOutlet and banquet satisfactionPar-stock accuracyFood safety complianceEquipment efficiency
PEOPLE
Employee engagement and retentionTraining completionInternal promotionsSuccession planningTeam productivitySUSTAINABILITY
Food-waste reductionResponsible ingredient utilizationSustainable sourcingEnergy and resource efficiencyPERSONAL ATTRIBUTES
Physically fitOral and written fluency in EnglishKnowledge of other languages and basic understanding of local language preferred Must have strong culinary experience (international preferred) Excellent leadership & supervisory skills with a “hands-on” approachPositive attitude and high energy levelMotivator , displays initiative & creativityTeam player and team builderFlexible & adaptable to different working locationsFinance knowledge Employee Benefits:
Join our team and enjoy a range of exclusive colleague perks, including complimentary upgrades, extended stays, discounted stays across Fairmont & Raffles properties, special dining and wellness discounts, and added luxuries to enhance your experience. We believe in taking care of our team, ensuring that your hard work is rewarded with exceptional benefits.
Our Values
Respect:
We value the needs, ideas and individuality of others. We treat everyone with fairness and dignity.
Excellence:
We make genuine connections, and we cherish every opportunity to make the people around us feel special.
Belonging:
We celebrate our differences. We support each other and we always stand together.
Empowerment:
We have authority to take initiative and anticipate moments that create unforgettable experiences.
Integrity:
We build trust through mutual respect and being authentic.
Diversity & Inclusion
Raffles is committed to creating an inclusive environment where diverse talent thrives. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds to join our team.